Unless Activision is holding back their promotional campaign until the very last minute, it’s fair to say this year’s Call of Duty is being treated to a quiet launch. The Black Ops games have always been strong performers, so perhaps it’s believed Black Ops IIII (ugh!) will sell by the lorryload on name alone.

For those not keeping tabs, Black Ops IIII jumps on the battle royale bandwagon with an all-new Blackout mode. Those who gave the beta a whirl were left pleasantly surprised by how polished it is – it’s certainly no last-minute inclusion.

Zombies mode has been expanded too, with 3 adventures available at launch. As for traditional MP, the press release mentions the word ‘grounded’ numerous times so we’re guessing it’s sticking to ‘boots on the ground’ once again. i.e – no jetpacks.

Who dares go against Activision’s juggernaut? Not many publishers, that’s for sure – the Switch gets two well-received JRPGs, while new sci-fi shooter Evasion lands on PSVR. It looks far better than Farpoint, with scores mostly clocking in at 8/10.

On the download services Mark of the Ninja Remastered is off to a flying start, gaining 9/10 from The Metro. “Still one of the best stealth games of recent years and an accomplished 2D platformer in its own right, with a near perfect balance of depth, accessibility, and bloodshed,” they said.

Memory of Us – a reminiscence of a friendship between a boy and a girl – hasn’t scored too highly so far, however, with GameSpot’s 5/10 being the first score out the gate: “My Memory of Us feels misguided; a concept that doesn’t sit well, marred by puzzle gameplay that fails to challenge or excite.”

Cutsey 2D shooter Maria The Witch, developed by Naps Team, makes a belated appearance on the Xbox One store too, just in time for Halloween. But while the £3.99 asking price may seem like a good deal, the Switch version from 2017 gained something of a critical mauling. Boo!

We were also expecting the intriguing Stranded Deep this week, but it looks like Telltale’s demise has thrown a spanner in the works. To quote Xbox Wire “We hope to have more news to share soon.”

New release showcase:

The World Ends With You- Final Remix

Reviews:
4.5/5 – Vooks: “Its story, presentation, battle systems, and music are all incredible, and there’s nothing out there quite like it. Whether you’re a newcomer to the game or a veteran from the DS days, there’s no better time than now to play TWEWY”

8/10 – Pocket Gamer: “[…] when played on a touchscreen, The World Ends With You is a truly wonderful JRPG. For first-timers, this is a chance to finally see what everyone’s been talking about over the years, and enjoy the gorgeous artwork, intriguing story, and bizarre combat system”

7.8 – IGN: “The World Ends With You: Final Remix is as good as ever in handheld mode, but it loses much of its appeal with motion controls”

Disgaea 1 Complete

Reviews:
8.0 – God is a Geek: “It isn’t as polished gameplay wise compared to Disgaea 5 Complete but it is still a great game. You can never have too much Disgaea”

8/10 – Nintendo Life: “This remaster is a great introduction for series newcomers, provided you can forgive the odd mismatching texture and an inflexible camera”

7/10 – The Metro: “Still one of the best strategy role-playing games ever made and a great place for newcomers to the franchise to start – assuming they’ve got the dedication necessary”

Evasion

Reviews:
8.0 – PlayStation Lifestyle: “Evasion is another example of a fast-paced VR game that doesn’t seem like it could work in theory, but has been executed with a care and precision befitting of a developer that has a lot of expertise in the VR field”

8/10 – Upload VR: “Evasion does a lot right. The chaos and intensity of combat is second-to-none in the VR shooter space from what I’ve seen, particularly when compared to other cooperative VR shooters”

7/10 – Push Square: “It’s unlikely to leave as much of an impact as Farpoint did, but Evasion offers a competent and entertaining shoot ‘em up campaign for those looking to bring devastation to the next alien race”

New digital multi-format releases:

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek
My Memory of Us
Space Hulk: Tactics
The MISSING J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories

New on PSN:

Inglorious
Super Blackjack Battle II – Turbo Edition – The Card Warriors
Fractured Minds
Desert Racing GST
Freaky Awesome
MLB Home Run Derby VR
Speed Brawl

New on Xbox One store:

Chronus Arc
Deployment
Devious Dungeon
Spencer
Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2
Maria The Witch
Warface

New Nintendo retail releases:

The World Ends With You- Final Remix
Disgaea 1 Complete
My Riding Stables – Life with Horses
Gem Smashers
Goosebumps: The Game

Next week: Soul Calibur VI, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, theHunter: Call of the Wild – 2019 Edition, LEGO DC Super-Villains, Zen Studios Ultimate VR Collection, Dark Souls: Remastered (Switch), Syberia 3, and 3DS Luigi’s Mansion.